When the greatest pitcher in the sport sits on the waiver wire in 64% of leagues, there can only be one headliner; but don’t scoff at the other two, with a pair of veteran position players ready to bring the boom for your squad.

Jacob deGrom – TEX – SP – 36% ESPN
I won’t bore you with a comprehensive list of his accomplishments, but deGrom’s play since 2018 represents as dominant of a stretch as any from a pitcher in MLB history. In 2023, he held the best K rate, whiff rate, chase rate, xBA and xERA of any starter in baseball prior to his injury, and was top five in walk rate and avg.exit velocity. His electric glove side combo of fastballs and sliders, with a few changeups and the odd curveball decimated hitters from both sides of the plate, and it would appear as though he’ll be at it again if his rehab assignments are anything to go by.

Obviously the results from his rehab were impressive, with all but one appearance scoreless while striking out the world, but the most important takeaway is his stuff, with his fastball averaging the same 98.7 MPH as it did in 2023, and the majority of his K’s coming on his still devastating slider. The Rangers will be careful with deGrom, who has a slew of health-related clauses in his contract, so expect him to make three more starts for the rest of the season against the Mariners, Blue Jays and Angels, all favorable matchups for deGrom.

League Size Recommendation – All leagues

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